Comfort from a Father
by RebekahGrace
Summary: Something has happened to Hermione and Ron is terrified. Who does he go to in a time of need? Written for QLFC Season 6 round 12. Note - Post Hogwarts/ 8th Year


**A/N** This story was written for QLFC Season 6 Round 12, position chaser 3. I might do a part two after the season is over going through the entire family's reaction to this. You will notice I never explicitly say what happened but I think it's pretty easy to figure out anyway, onto the fic!

Prompt - Write about Ron's Relationship with one of his parents

Optional Prompts -

(3) If you carry joy in your heart you can heal any moment

(9) Moon Image

(13)For the River - Nickelback

Word Count Without A/N- 1570

 **Quick Explanation, PLEASE READ before reading this story.**

 **In my opinion, all of those that should have graduated in 1998, live in Hogsmeade instead of at Hogwarts. As such they can come and go as they please, they still go to the castle for lessons and sometimes meals(Such as the Halloween feast) but they mainly stay in the buildings designated for them in Hogsmeade and they are not separated by house, just by boys and girls.**

* * *

 _Gotta be free_

 _So don't ever never stop_

 _Gotta run, gotta run_

* * *

"You look like shite," Harry mentioned as Ron walked into the break room.

"Well, that's what happens when you get properly pissed on a work night," Ron snipped, reaching for the coffee pot sitting on the counter, realizing it was empty he grumbled and set to refilling it.

"And why in Merlin's name did you think that was a good idea?" Harry replied, hiding a grin behind his cup of coffee.

"I don't want to talk about it," Ron replied, grabbing a mug out of the cupboard and waiting for the coffee to finish brewing.

"Are you gonna see Hermione tonight?" Harry walked over to the sink and set his empty mug inside on the edge.

"Aren't you coming off shift?" Ron replied, obviously avoiding the topic of Hermione.

"Yep, Shacklebolt asked me to stick around for the morning briefing," Harry replied, noticing his friend had deflected the question but letting it be for now.

"Mind if I sit?" Ron asked when he approached his father's table.

"Of course?" Arthur asked, looking his son up and down worriedly. "Your mother was wondering if you are coming to Sunday dinner this week by the way."

"I'm not sure," Ron replied, staring down at his plate.

"Hermione had said she was going to try and make it. Oh, and Charlie is coming in this weekend as well" Arthur replied, in a slightly disappointed tone.

"I don't know if she's going to at this point, with the whole break in and everything," Ron responded in regards to Hermione.

"What break in?" Arthur asked as he unpacked his lunch onto the table.

"Y'know, the housing in hogs…" Ron trailed off when he realized his father truly had no idea what he was talking about. "The housing for Hogwarts in Hogsmeade got broken into a few days ago. Hermione's pretty shaken up by it all. I'm gonna try to leave work a little early today to go see her."

"Is DMLE into it?" Arthur asked gently, he could tell this was a sensitive subject.

"Yeah, there isn't much evidence though. Nothing was stolen," Ron replied, shoving food around his plate.

"Did she send you a letter then?" Arthur asked in a concerned tone, wondering how his son knew about the break-in and he did not.

"No, the Aurors were asked to clear the building, they brought along the trainees to show them how it would go. Harry pretty much had a meltdown in the middle of it all." Ron still had not taken a bite of food, he had just been shoving it around his plate. Arthur reached across the table and took his youngest son's hand.

"Are you okay?"

Ron shrugged "Training is tough, and Harry keeps on getting nightmares, so I worry about him and now Hermione… It's just a lot."

"Come to dinner yeah? It'll be good to see Charlie, although try to get some sleep tonight. Your Mum worries enough," Arthur advised the bags under his son's eyes all too prominent.

* * *

"Hermione?" Ron called as he started dismantling the new wards on Hermione's flat with his wand.

"I'm here," Came Hermione's voice in response in a mousey voice.

When Ron entered the flat he saw his girlfriend curled up on the couch with a blanket wrapped around herself, no lights were on, just the moonlight coming in through the window to provide light in the small flat.

"Are you okay?" He asked, setting the takeout he had grabbed on the table just inside the door, even with just the white light coming in from the outside he could see the paleness of her skin.

"You'd think, that with everything last year. I wouldn't be..." Hermione dissolved into tears unable to compose herself. Ron stepped forward and went to embrace her but just before he did he paused.

"Can I hold you?" He asked gently. Hermione nodded and Ron sat gently on the couch, wrapping his arms around Hermione.

"He's not here," Ron whispered into Hermione's hair. "You're okay."

Ron wasn't sure if he was trying to convince Hermione or himself.

* * *

"Hey, is Hermione coming?" Arthur asked when Ron came into the kitchen Sunday afternoon

"No, she and Harry are just gonna stay in and catch up." Ron pulled a chair out. Glancing around he noticed his mum was nowhere to be found but shrugged it off, he couldn't add one more thing on his mind right now.

"Your mum's gonna have a fit," Arthur pointed out unhelpfully.

"Harry's had a long week at training and Hermione." Ron paused, hesitating, it was not his place to say anything.

"Hermione's what?" Arthur asked, none of his children ever started a sentence they didn't want to finish. Sometimes it just required a little prompting.

"She's not doing great. The flats weren't just broken into," Ron started recklessly, he couldn't stop now.

Arthur set aside his newspaper and waited for his son to continue. He just needed someone to listen to him right now.

"It was a man," Ron began, trying to piece together his emotions from the past few days, not being very successful mind you. "He broke into a few of the girl's apartments, the others weren't back from lessons yet but Hermione was trying to get her homework done before I got off shift."

"What happened?" Arthur asked when Ron paused, he knew where this was going but it was cathartic to say it out loud.

"He stunned her before she could grab her wa-wand." Tears started to fall down Ron's cheeks but he wiped them away and continued. "He just left her there. After he was done..." Ron couldn't bring himself to say it out loud. That would make it entirely to real

"Did you find her?" Arthur asked gently, reaching out and placing a hand on Ron's shoulder.

Ron nodded, looking away to hide his tears.

"Did she get tested?" Arthur asked, quietly.

"I took her to see Madam Pomfrey when she was still unconscious. She'll be okay," Ron replied, still looking away.

"How is she handling it?"

"She's burying herself in school, she hasn't even told McGonagall yet," Ron looked back, his eyes red, it was obvious from his tone he didn't approve of her decision.

"How are you doing?"

"Well, I guess I'm okay. I can't really lean on anyone y' know? Cause Hermione needs me to be strong for her and she doesn't want Harry to know, I've not really dealt with it yet." Ron stared down at the table.

"From the looks of you on Friday you got properly pissed," Arthur reminded him, realizing that was why his son had looked so pale when they had run into each other at lunch.

"She was up at the castle Thursday night, Ginny and Her were hanging out, and Harry was working a night shift so I went down to the leaky cauldron. Hannah kicked me out before I did anything monumentally stupid."

"Why aren't you with her tonight?"

"Mum would have a proper fit if neither of us came and I reckon she wants to be with someone who doesn't know, have a spot of normal." Ron paused before looking up at his father with tears building up in his eyes, the cheekiness that was usually present replaced with emotion that Arthur had never seen. "How do I help her?"

"Be there for her, and stay positive. The memories will lessen over time, she just needs a spot of bright to look to. That is you," Arthur replied.

"Look, it's my two favourite boys!" Molly commented as she walked into the kitchen. "Is Hermione coming dear?" She asked Ron.

Arthur cast a wordless spell to hide Ron's red eyes and stained cheeks before he turned to his mother, the last thing Hermione and Ron needed right now was Molly fussing about them, they needed to deal with this as a couple.

"She's not, Harry and Her are going to hang out tonight."

Much to Ron's surprise, Molly didn't react strongly, she just shrugged and set about preparing for the evening meal. He guessed the number of times Bill and Fleur had skipped Sunday night dinners Molly had come desensitized to people not showing up every week.

* * *

"Hey Ronnie, where's the girlfriend?" George started when he saw Ron sitting alone with Percy in the living room.

"None of your business," Ron replied.

"Really-" George was cut off by his father's voice.

"Not tonight George," Arthur said authoritatively. George surprised that his father got involved slunk out of the room towards the kitchen where Angelina was trying to help Molly with dinner.

"What's going on?" Bill asked walking over to his father from the edge of the living room where he had been chatting with Charlie and Fleur.

"What makes you think anything is going on?" Arthur replied, bringing the bottle of butterbeer he had been nursing up to his lips.

"Ron and Hermione have been inseparable since may and you never tell George off for being a wanker," Bill replied

"It's not my place," Arthur started. "They will hopefully tell everyone eventually, but right now just be there for Ron okay?"

"Of course," Bill replied, before heading back towards Charlie and Fleur.

Arthur looked around the living room, Ron and Percy were chatting. Charlie and Fleur were double-teaming Bill. When had they all gotten so old?


End file.
